Marvin O. Heller

Marvin Otto Heller was born September 11, 1935, on the family farm near Gilead, Nebraska to Karl Adolph Heller and Elda Louisa Vorderstrasse. He was born the day the carpenters arrived to start building the new barn for the farm. He attended rural school District 3, for grades 1-7. He graduated from Reynolds High School in 1952. He then attended Fairbury Junior College 1953-55. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Gilead, Nebraska. He married Sandra Lee Schoenrock on August 25, 1957, at Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church, Gladstone, Nebraska. They had two children, Kellie Denise Heller Smith and Matthew Lee Heller. After receiving a junior elementary teaching certificate, he began teaching fifth grade in Hebron, Nebraska. He also taught one year in Belvidere, Nebraska before moving to Lincoln to complete his BS degree and teaching in the Lincoln Public Schools. He completed his Master of Education degree in 1963 at the University of Nebraska and his Doctor of Education degree at the University of Northern Colorado in 1970. He was a teacher and professor of Education at the University of Northern Iowa for 27 years, retiring in 1997. He gave countless hours of volunteer time to Habitat for Humanity and Kiwanis Rough Risers Club, was the superintendent of Sunday school, and was active in the Iowa State Education Association. He made 13 trips to the New Orleans area to help with rebuilding after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. He was also actively involved with Nazareth Lutheran Church and with the Lutheran Student Center at UNI. He was a proud supporter of UNI athletics and a season ticket holder for basketball, volleyball, and football for many years. His hobbies included woodworking, wine making, gardening, and antique auto restoration. He made numerous wooden items for everyone, especially his grandchildren, and was always glad to share his wine. He really liked country/western music and would listen to the old western classics for hours. In his younger years, he played the guitar. After retirement, he became an avid reader of mysteries. He also enjoyed fishing and planned many fishing trips to Minnesota with friends. He was the patriarch of his family and will always be remembered for his adventurous spirit and willingness to do anything or go anywhere. He traveled the state and rarely missed an extracurricular activity for any of his granddaughters or great grandchildren. He loved when others had new ideas for woodworking projects, which resulted in countless marbles boards, Kubb sets, tractors, bookshelves, wine racks, jewelry boxes and countless other creations being shared with friends and family members all over the country. He is preceded in death by his parents; son, Matthew Lee; brothers, Henry, and Norbert, and sister, Ethel Saathoff. He leaves to mourn, his wife, Sandra; daughter, Kellie (David) Smith; three grandchildren, Mallory Swenson, Leah (Alex) Crouse, Johanna (Ryan) Berkey; and seven great grandchildren – Rylan, Thayer, Marie, Celia, Claire, Grace and Paige; a sister, Adella Schmidt of Pueblo West, Colorado; nieces and nephews. Memorials may be directed to Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity in Waterloo, Iowa.

Marvin O. Heller

September 11, 1935 - April 11, 2025